Not Leadership

Writer

Ware

Managing Director

REID Lifting

Global Marketing Manager

AluK (GB) Ltd

- Developing and implementing strategic marketing plans and campaigns for the UK market for Trade/Residential, End-User and Architectural Specification audiences
- Marketing Campaign of The Year Winner | 2019 | FIT Show

Marketing Communications Manager

- Excellence in Marketing Winner | 2017 | Monmouthshire Business Awards
- Social Networker of The Year Winner | 2016 | The Fenestration Awards

Marketing Communications Executive

Marketing Assistant

Euro Commercials, Mercedes-Benz

Marketing & Design Assistant

Timto Ltd

- Developing the company Brand Guidelines, Tone of Voice and Social Strategy
- Collaborating with associated charity partners such as MacMillan Cancer to deliver white labelled marcomms deliverables

Graphic Designer

Managing Director at Ware 💙 Leadership without the corporate BS | Real talk. Practical tools. Better teams.

Hey, I'm Laura 👋

I’m here for the leaders, managers and people-people who know the old ways aren’t working.

The ones trying to lead with empathy and impact. Who care about culture, but hate the corporate BS. Who want honest conversations about what it really takes to build healthy, high-performing teams and workplaces.

I share what works (and what doesn’t) so you don’t have to figure it all out alone.

Think of this space as a mix of practical advice, hard-won lessons and the occasional nudge to do better for your people and for yourself.

Drop me a DM if you want to chat, collaborate or just need a sounding board for the messy, human side of leadership.

The strongest leaders aren’t the toughest,

They’re the kindest.

For years, leadership was associated with 
authority, control and toughness.

But science tells a different story…

Kindness and trust aren’t just “soft skills” they drive real performance.

Why does kindness in leadership work?

✅ Boosts oxytocin
Kindness releases oxytocin, building trust and connection. 
Caring leaders make employees feel safe and engaged.

✅ Reduces stress
Compassion lowers cortisol, easing stress and preventing burnout. 
People perform better when not in fight-or-flight mode.

✅ Builds loyalty
Trusted leaders inspire commitment. 
Employees stay, collaborate and go the extra mile.

✅ Improves decisions
Trust encourages open dialogue and honest feedback, 
leading to better, faster decisions.

How can leaders build trust through kindness?

Support employees’ growth, not just their output

- Show appreciation beyond just results
- Listen (really listen) without judgment
- Lead with transparency and honesty

Trust isn’t built through authority, it’s earned through action.

And the most successful leaders are those who understand 
that kindness isn’t weakness; it’s a strategic advantage.

♻️ If you think this post could help someone in your network, hit repost.

👋🏼 Hey, I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 30K+ readers here:
https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n

Laura Morgan

Your best people aren’t just high performers.

They’ve got emotional intelligence. 
They take emotional ownership.

And that’s exactly why you’ll lose them if 
you don’t show them these two things:

1) That you value them.
2) That you’ve built a system where they can thrive.

Ignore that, and it’s simple.

They’ll leave for somewhere better.
Or they’ll quiet quit and stop giving you their best.

Either way, you lose.

High performers don’t demand perfection.

They just need to know their effort is recognised, 
and that they’re not carrying it all alone.

Leaders: keep them close.

The cost of losing them is always higher.

Agree?

♻️ If you think this post could help someone in your network, hit repost.

👋🏼 Hey, I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 30K+ readers here:
https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n

Here's how to become the problem at work

(I wish I was joking)

You speak up.
You call out the toxic culture.
You don't play along with the bad boss.
You don't laugh at the backhanded jokes.
You don't accept "that's just how it is".

And suddenly....

You're the problem.

Not the culture.
Not the leadership.
Not the system.
YOU.

But let me tell you something,

If calling out the BS makes you "the problem"

GOOD!

Because the truth is simple:

Change never comes from silence.

Change comes from the person who's not afraid to be difficult. If that's you - own it.

♻️ If you think this post could help someone in your network, hit repost.

👋🏼 Hey, I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 30K+ readers here:
https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n

No alternative text description for this image

Leaders, here’s a red flag you can’t afford to ignore

(it’s costing you your best people).

If your top talent walk away…

Not for a new job.
Not for more money.
Not for the next big title.

But simply walk away.
That’s not about them.

That’s about you.

And it’s a big sign something in your workplace isn’t working.

People don’t leave environments where they feel valued, respected and trusted.

They leave when the culture erodes those things.

Before you ask why they left, ask what they couldn’t find here.

Then fix that and you’ll keep more than talent.

You’ll keep trust.

Agree?

♻️ If you think this post could help someone in your network, hit repost.

👋🏼 Hey, I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 30K+ readers here:
**https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n**

“You’re too much.”

Ever heard that one?

Yeah, me too.

Too loud.
Too confident.
Too ambitious.
Too passionate.

But let’s be honest, it’s never really about you.

It’s about them.

People are mirrors.
So when someone calls you too much, 
what they actually mean is,

“Your energy reminds me of what I’m too scared to show.”

I’ve seen it everywhere, from new grads to senior execs.

The ones saying “tone it down” are usually the ones who already have.

So here’s the truth:

Don’t shrink.
Don’t apologise.
Don’t edit yourself to make others comfortable.

Stay too much.
Stay bold.
Stay curious.
Stay hungry.

Because the right rooms won’t ask you to quiet down,
they’ll turn up the volume with you.

And if your energy makes someone uncomfortable?

Good.

It means you’ve stopped blending in and started standing out.

♻️ If you think this can help someone in your network, hit 'repost'.

👋🏼 Hey, I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 30K+ readers here:
*https://lnkd.in/e8mr64r7

LinkedIn Login, Sign in | LinkedIn

JSESSIONID

li_at

If people don’t trust you, 

they won’t follow you. 

You can have the title. 
The power. 
The authority. 

But without trust? 

You’re not leading. 
You’re just managing. 

Agree?

📸 Fantastic quote by Justin Wright!

♻️ If you think this post could help someone in your network, hit repost.

👋🏼 Hey, I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 30K+ readers here:
https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n

The truth most leaders hide:

They don’t just manage people.

They manage energy.

Every meeting.
Every decision.
Every late night.

A withdrawal from the account.

Weak leaders only take out.
Strong leaders put back in.

Here’s my deposit list:

→ Fresh air and daily step count
→ Exercise (pilates is a fave)
→ Sleep (non-negotiable)
→ Clean nutrition
→ Journalling
→ Reading
→ Bluelifestyle.co

Because leadership isn’t about doing more.
It’s about showing up with energy that lasts.

So ask yourself:

Is your account in credit… or are you already overdrawn?

♻️ If you think this post could help someone in your network, hit repost.

👋🏼 Hey, I’m Laura - I’ve launched a newsletter called 'Not Leadership' your weekly notes drop on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Hit 'subscribe' and join 30K+ others here:
https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n

More of us need to learn this.

(especially if we want to avoid disappointment)

If you’re impatient, life will always feel harder.

I’ve seen it....
in teams, leaders, even in myself.

We want everything now.
 
The promotion. 
The growth. 
The results.

But the truth? 

Anything meaningful takes time.

Patience isn’t sitting still.
It’s showing up every day, doing the work, 
even when no one’s watching.

It’s staying calm when things don’t move as fast as your ambition.

Leaders who rush burn out their people.

Employees who rush miss the lessons that actually make them great.

The best I’ve worked with?

They play the long game.
They move with urgency, but they think long-term.

Patience isn’t soft, it’s strategic.
It’s how you win.

♻️ If you think this post could help someone in your network, hit repost.

👋🏼 Hey, I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 30K+ readers here:
*https://lnkd.in/e8mr64r7

Don’t like your boss?

Keep this in mind:

Don’t rush to label them as toxic, 
simply because you don’t click.

We often talk about ‘toxic’ workplaces and leaders

But sometimes, it’s not about toxicity,
it’s simply that you don’t like someone.

And let’s be honest, we can’t like everyone?!

There can be many reasons for not getting along with someone at work, like:

1. Communication gaps
→ sometimes, it’s all about how things are said

2. Different working styles
→ what works for one may frustrate another

3. Competitiveness
→ different levels of ambition can create tension

4. Personality clashes
→ it’s normal to not vibe with everyone

But that doesn’t mean conflict is inevitable.

Here’s how to manage it:

→ Accept differences and focus on the work
→ Respect their skills, even if you're not close
→ Focus on the shared goal, you're on the same team
→ Stay open, communicate, try to understand their view

You don’t have to like everyone you work with,
But you can still work well together.

What’s one thing you do to maintain professionalism when there’s tension?

♻️ If you think this post could help someone in your network, hit repost.

👋🏼 Hey, I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 30K+ readers here:
*https://lnkd.in/e8mr64r7

If you can’t read people, 

you can’t lead people.

You can have the degrees.
The titles.
The money.

But without emotional intelligence?

You’re done.

That’s it.
That’s the post. 

Agree?

📸 Gary Vaynerchuk 

♻️ If you think this post could help someone in your network, hit repost.

👋🏼 Hey, I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 30K+ readers here:
 https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n

My best ideas don’t come at my desk.

Or even between the hours of 9-5.

They show up in the car. 
In the shower.
On a walk. 
In the middle of a yoga session.

Never when I force them.

Yet so many workplaces still cling to rigid ways of working. 

Desk time. 
Fixed hours. 
Endless processes.

10 red flags that block creativity:

1. Ideas are stolen by weak leaders and passed off as their own
2. Every idea needs a business case before it’s even explored
3. People are rewarded for speed, not substance
4. Meetings are valued more than thinking time
5. “Bums in seats” is still seen as productivity
6. Thinking differently is labelled as “difficult”
7. Failure is punished instead of learned from
8. Calendars are packed with no white space
9. The loudest voice in the room always wins
10. Breaks are treated as slacking

If we want innovation, we need to stop managing appearances 
and start creating space for ideas to emerge.

Agree? 

♻️ If you think this post could help someone in your network, hit repost.

👋🏼 Hey, I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 30K+ readers here:
https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n

Spoiler: Burnout hides behind success.

Here’s how to spot it before it hides in yours.

It doesn’t always look like breaking down.
Sometimes it looks like carrying on.

It creeps in quietly.
Until you forget what it feels like to be yourself.

Here’s just some ways it can look:

1. You can’t focus long enough to finish a film, a book or even an article.
2. You say “yes” to everything but secretly hope for cancellations.
3. You dread Mondays but weekends don’t feel like a break either.
4. You scroll endlessly but can’t face sending one message back.
5. You find yourself zoning out in the middle of conversations.
6. You don’t recognise yourself in the mirror some mornings.
7. You can’t remember the last time you laughed properly.
8. You reply to work emails but not to the people you love.
9. You avoid plans, even the ones you looked forward to.
10. You’re always tired but sleep never feels enough.
11. Your phone rings and you watch it until it stops.
12. Food becomes fuel, not something you taste.
13. You’re busy all day but never feel productive.
14. The things you used to enjoy now feel heavy.
15. You’re irritable with people you care about.
16. Silence feels easier than conversation.
17. You stop celebrating the small wins.
18. You feel numb more often than sad.
19. The little tasks feel like mountains.
20. Rest doesn’t restore you anymore.

If any of these ring true, 
take it as a signal to pause, not a reason to push harder.

♻️ If you think this post could help someone in your network, hit repost.

👋🏼 Hey, I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 30K+ readers here:
https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n

Everyone says they want growth. 

Few are actually built for it.

Too many people treat growth like a campaign. 

It’s not. 

Growth is a system. 
It’s how you make decisions every single day.

Here are 10 things I’d focus on (and what you can do too):

1. Build systems, not spikes
Stop chasing one-off wins. 
Focus on repeatable processes that create lasting results.

2. Use data to guide, not dictate 
Numbers show what’s happening, 
but you still need to understand why.

3. Test small, test fast
Don’t wait for perfect. 
Launch, learn, adjust, repeat.

4. Double down on what works
When something converts, scale it. 
Stop chasing every shiny new idea.

5. Make learning visible
Share experiments, especially the ones that fail. 
They speed up progress.

6. Keep marketing and product close
Growth happens when customer experience 
and communication work together.

7. Prioritise the customer journey
Every interaction should build trust,
not just push for a sale.

8. Use tools with intent
Tech should serve your strategy, not distract from it.

9. Reward curiosity
Encourage people who ask questions and challenge. 
That’s where breakthroughs start.

10. Think like a scientist
Hypothesise, test, learn, improve. 

Becoming growth-led isn’t about working harder or shouting louder.

It’s about building smarter habits that compound over time.

So if you’re serious about growth, stop chasing hacks. 
Start building systems.

What’s the first thing you’d test tomorrow?

♻️ If you think this post could help someone in your network, hit repost.

👋🏼 Hey, I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 30K+ readers here:
*https://lnkd.in/e8mr64r7

Leaders need to see this for what it really is.

Busyness isn’t accountability.

Just like,

noise isn’t progress
and activity isn’t ownership.

If your team hides mistakes → your management is broken.
If your team blames each other → your management is broken.
If your team avoids responsibility → your management is broken.

Lack of accountability kills:

Trust
Progress
Standards
Results

Strong teams don’t fear accountability.
They depend on it.

So the question is…

How do you create accountability without creating fear?

♻️ If you think this post could help someone in your network, hit repost.

👋🏼 Hey, I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 30K+ readers here:
https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n

Nobody’s coming to save you.

Nobody’s coming to “train you up.”

My friend Thomas' quote is spot on.

High performers know this. 

And that’s why they don’t wait.

The internet has already given you every tool you need to grow. 

→ Podcasts
→ Books
→ Free content
→ Free training and courses

Winners don’t ask for permission to improve. They put in the reps.

Every. Single. Day.

If you want to move faster in your career, own your growth.

The skills you build today will be the leverage you cash in tomorrow.

And here’s the best part, most of the resources you need are free 

(see list of suggestions in the comments).

No excuses left. 
The tools are there....

It’s on you to use them.

♻️ If you think this can help someone in your network, hit 'repost'.

👋🏼 Hey, I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 30K+ readers here:
*https://lnkd.in/e8mr64r7

Leadership is not about having all the answers.

And anyone who tells you otherwise is lying!

It’s about creating a culture where people feel safe
enough to ask the difficult questions, say enough to have a voice.

Justin's trust pyramid is one of the best resources on how to do this!

In every team I’ve seen thrive, there’s one constant: 

TRUST

→ Trust that ideas will be heard.
→ Trust that mistakes won’t define you.
→ Trust that growth comes from collaboration, not competition.

Too often, leaders focus on driving results.

But results are the outcome of the environment you create.

Build a culture where people want to: 

→ Show up
→ Contribute
→ Grow

The rest will follow.

What’s the most important value you try to instil in your team?

♻️ If you think this can help someone in your network, hit 'repost'.

👋🏼 Hey, I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 30K+ readers here:
*https://lnkd.in/e8mr64r7

Why do we do this to ourselves?

Hit a birthday milestone and think:

“Shit, I should have it figured out by now.”

And every week there’s another post reminding you:

- 10 things you MUST do before 30
- Milestones you need to hit before 40
- How to win life by 50

Nice lists.
But life doesn’t work like that.

Some people peak early.
Some people peak late.
Some people never peak at all.

They just sip coffee, watch Netflix, and live quietly happy lives.
That’s a win too.

The scoreboard you’re playing against?

Not your mates.
Not your colleagues.
Not your LinkedIn feed.

It’s you.

So if you don’t have it all figured out - CONGRATULATIONS!
You’re in the club.

And the truth?
The club is 99% of us.

It’s the best club to be in.

As I sit here, just turned 35 (eeek) 
the only thing I’m figuring out is how big the slice of cake should be.

Your best people aren’t leaving for money.

They’re leaving because of you.

Red flags it’s not about pay:
 
🚩 Culture feels toxic
🚩 Micromanagement everywhere
🚩 Burnout is the norm
🚩 No growth in sight
🚩 Recognition missing

This week’s notes drop: 10 reasons money won’t save your sinking talent and what will.

♻️ If this resonates, hit 'repost' to help people in your audience and 'subscribe'.

Hey Team 👋🏼 One of the most dangerous assumptions leaders make? That top performers stay for the pay. They don’t. Here’s why they really leave: Toxi

Open article: Why money isn't enough to save your best people! by Laura Morgan • 2 min read

Why money isn't enough to save your best people!

You don’t have a time problem.

You have a priority problem.

Red flags it’s on you:

 🚩 Inbox eats half your day
 🚩 Meetings fill the calendar but move nothing forward
 🚩 Your team waits on you because you’re stuck in busywork

This week’s notes drop: 

9 simple ways to take back control of your time 
(with tools and a download that actually help).

♻️ If this lands, hit ‘repost’ and ‘subscribe’ so more managers cut the noise and lead with focus.

Hey Team 👋🏼 Most leaders don’t have a time management problem. They have a priority problem. Here’s the uncomfortable truth - you’ll never get it al

Open article: Time management methods that actually work by Laura Morgan • 2 min read

Time management methods that actually work

You don’t have a confidence problem.

You have a communication problem.

Red flags it’s on you:

🚩 You hold back from challenging senior leaders
🚩 You’re told to be “more assertive” but not “too direct”
🚩 Your team takes the pressure while you absorb it from above

This week’s notes drop:
How to manage up without losing your voice.

Leading up isn’t about pleasing, it’s about partnering with purpose.

♻️ If this lands, hit ‘repost’ and ‘subscribe’ - more managers need to learn how to challenge with respect and lead with clarity.

Taplio

Laura Morgan's Linkedin Analytics

's Best Posts (last 30 days)

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?

Taplio

.css-1jgreyo{background-image:linear-gradient(284deg, rgba(39,43,72,1) 0%, rgba(33,47,183,1) 100%);color:transparent;-webkit-background-clip:text;background-clip:text;}Laura Morgan's Linkedin Analytics

's Best Posts .css-qqfgvy{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);}(last 30 days)

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?

Laura Morgan's Linkedin Analytics

's Best Posts (last 30 days)